Pellegrini Quartet - Haydn, J.: Sun Quartets, Op. 20 (2008)

Tracklist

CD1
01. String Quartet No. 25 in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2, Hob.III:32: I. Moderato
02. String Quartet No. 25 in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2, Hob.III:32: II. Capriccio: Adagio
03. String Quartet No. 25 in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2, Hob.III:32: III. Minuet: Allegretto
04. String Quartet No. 25 in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2, Hob.III:32: IV. Fuga a quattro soggetti
05. String Quartet No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5, Hob.III:35: I. Allegro moderato
06. String Quartet No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5, Hob.III:35: II. Menuetto
07. String Quartet No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5, Hob.III:35: III. Adagio
08. String Quartet No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5, Hob.III:35: IV. Finale: Fuga a due soggetti
09. String Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4, Hob. III:34: I. Allegro di molto
10. String Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4, Hob. III:34: II. Un poco adagio affetuoso
11. String Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4, Hob. III:34: III. Menuetto: Allegretto alla zingarese
12. String Quartet No. 27 in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4, Hob. III:34: IV. Presto scherzando

CD2
01. String Quartet No. 24 in A Major, Op. 20, No. 6, Hob.III:36: I. Allegro di molto e scherzando
02. String Quartet No. 24 in A Major, Op. 20, No. 6, Hob.III:36: II. Adagio
03. String Quartet No. 24 in A Major, Op. 20, No. 6, Hob.III:36: III. Menuet
04. String Quartet No. 24 in A Major, Op. 20, No. 6, Hob.III:36: IV. Fuga con tre soggetti
05. String Quartet No. 26 in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3, Hob.III:33: I. Allegro con spirito
06. String Quartet No. 26 in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3, Hob.III:33: II. Menuetto: Allegretto
07. String Quartet No. 26 in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3, Hob.III:33: III. Poco adagio
08. String Quartet No. 26 in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3, Hob.III:33: IV. Allegro molto
09. String Quartet No. 28 in E-Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1, Hob.III:31: I. Allegro moderato
10. String Quartet No. 28 in E-Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1, Hob.III:31: II. Minuet: Un poco Allegretto
11. String Quartet No. 28 in E-Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1, Hob.III:31: III. Affetuoso e sostenuto
12. String Quartet No. 28 in E-Flat Major, Op. 20, No. 1, Hob.III:31: IV. Finale: Presto

By Op. 20, Haydn was securing his historic legacy as the Father of the String Quartet. This notoriety of his advancement of the genre was appreciated and recognized quite clearly in his own time, though to our modern ears, very little of the music of Op. 20 sounds terribly progressive or experimental. Haydn, however, used Op. 20 as a sort of testing ground for all sorts of techniques ranging from sophisticated rhythmic figurations, textures, interdependence, and independence of the four instruments and tonality itself. Like many works with familiar subtitles, the "Sun Quartets" title came not from Haydn but from a publisher. The name has endured the test of time, and the liner notes for this particular album go into a great deal of discourse as to its appropriateness. On this two-disc SACD recording, the Pellegrini-Quartett offers a performance of these important works that gives listeners almost everything they need. The ensemble has a clear academic understanding of the advancements with which Haydn was experimenting and even highlights these techniques to listeners. Intonation is generally solid, although there are certainly some times when this gets away from the group. The overall sound, however, is not necessarily completely Haydn-esque. As the music becomes busier and more intricate, the tone becomes more labored and cautious, robbing listeners of what could have been a much more spontaneous and open performance.

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